Tuesday, July 31, 2012

More Than You Bargained For

Major electronic retailers have had little in the way of
direct competition with the Post Office in the United States so far. The same
can’t be said, however, around the rest of the world. Besides the usual
collection of shipping supplies and related accessories, Swiss Post offers a wide range of other
products and services not normally associated with sending a letter across
town.

Browsing through the Swiss Post online store, you’ll find
items such as tablet PC’s, cell phones, laptops, software, gaming systems,
televisions, jewelry, books, movies, and even camping gear. If a customer
didn’t look up in the left hand corner of the screen and notice the Swiss Post
logo, they could easily assume they were browsing through the pages of an
online electronics store.

As a postal organization, Swiss Post knows a thing or two
about transportation, but they go a step further in offering their own bus
service. Since 1906, PostBus has been offering public transportation services
in Switzerland. They currently have more than 3,000 employees and 2,000 buses shuttling
passengers around the country with plans to expand to other international
markets.

In a time when businesses are looking for every opportunity
to remain competitive and expand their sources of revenue, Swiss Post isn’t
leaving much to the imagination in expansion opportunities.

Do you think the Postal Service should expand into any of
these or other potential markets?